Sensor Device for Detecting an Analyte

Abstract

A sensor device for detecting at least one analyte in a fluid, in particular in a body fluid, is disclosed. The sensor device includes at least one closed detector chamber and at least one electrical sensor having at least one sensor electrode. The detector chamber can be connected to the fluid in such a way that the analyte can penetrate into the detector chamber. The detector chamber includes at least one detector substance. The detector substance is designed to influence at least one electrical property of the electrical sensor, in particular at least one electrical property of the sensor electrode, depending on a concentration of the analyte in the detector chamber.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)[0001]This application is a continuation of and claims priority to International Patent Application no. PCT / EP2012 / 059593 which was filed on May 23, 2012 and which claims priority to European patent application no. 11 167 141.8 filed on May 23, 2011.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a sensor device for detecting at least one analyte in a body fluid. Furthermore, the invention relates to a sensor system comprising at least one reader besides at least one sensor device according to the invention. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for detecting at least one analyte in a fluid. Such sensor devices, sensor systems and methods are generally used in medical diagnostics, for example, in order to monitor body functions in vitro or in vivo. Examples include the continuous or discontinuous monitoring of analyte concentrations in at least one body fluid, such as, for example, interstitial fluid, urine, saliva or blood. Ex...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0088]As described above, it is particularly preferred if the sensor device is completely or partly implantable to a body tissue of a user. It is particularly preferred if the electrical sensor is configured at least partly as an elongated sensor, wherein the elongated sensor comprises at least the detector chamber or a part thereof and preferably the sensor electrode. The elongated sensor can be designed in particular for being inserted at least partly into a body tissue of a user. In this case, an elongated sensor should be understood to mean a sensor which has a longitudinal extent which exceeds its lateral extent by at least by a factor of 2, preferably by at least a factor of 5 and particularly preferably by at least a factor of 10. By way of example the elongated sensor can have a maximum lateral extent, perpendicularly or transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent, which does not exceed 7 mm, preferably does not exceed 5 mm and particularly preferably does not exceed 3 mm or even does not exceed 2 mm. The advantage in particular of organic layer constructions can be seen in the fact that they can be made extremely thin, for example in a range of less than 1 μm, in particular in a range of less than 500 nm and for example even in the Angstrom range.

[0089]It is particularly preferred if the elongated sensor, in particular the sensor device or at least part of the sensor ...

Problems solved by technology

After that influences such as, for example, enzyme consumption and/or encapsulation in the body generally cause the sensitivity of the sensor to decrease, such that failure of the sensor is to be expected.

Overall, this generally leads to ageing in the case of conventional sensor elements, such that continuous operation of such sensors is temporally limited.

The known sensor concepts for diagnostic and non-diagnostic applications are confronted with a multiplicity of technical and medical challenges.

One technical challenge in this case consists in particular in the fact that the analyte, for example glucose, from the interstitium or body fluid, has to pass into the sensor.

In most of the sensor systems mentioned above, ageing of the sensor generally limits the service life thereof.

A mechanical loading of the relatively complicated sensor construction, whether in the case of conventional electrochemical analyte sensors for use in medical technology or in the case of the semiconductor sensors described, can also be limiting.

A further technical challenge in the case of known sensor elements generally consists in the fact that traditional measured value acquisition usually takes place by means of a serial conversion from a detection step via a multi...

Images